The tightness with which the Los Angeles Kings’ playoff series are being waged, one mistake can mean the game, the series. The defending champs survived a battle with the St. Louis Blues, and their second-round series against the San Jose Sharks is every bit as nail-biting.
So it’s unfortunate when the mistake that sticks out is the blatant fault of an official.
Down 2-0 in the second period — and deservedly so — the Kings believed they had scratched their way back into the game in the second period when a Slava Voynov point shot made its way through the legs of Sharks goalie Antti Niemi. With the puck clearly loose and behind Niemi, crease crasher Dustin Penner knocked it in the net, seemingly bringing his team within one.
Prior to the puck crossing the line, however, the official blew a quick whistle — and Penner blew his lid.
“I’m sure it’s in the rulebook. Once the whistle goes…” Kings coach Darryl Sutter said after the game, which ended in a 2-1 Sharks victory. “What are they gonna tell us? They’re gonna come and say they lost sight of the puck and they blew the whistle.”
That is the rule, and according to that rule, the goal should not have counted. But, wow, that’s an early whistle. Take one second and skate towards the play, ref. Look for that puck.
Not to say the Kings would’ve won the game, but they were pressing hard in the third period, and fans were robbed of what would’ve been one heck of an overtime.
Brutal.